They have also been consistent in reporting the increase in average temperatures and extreme weather events.

For our farmers, many of whom are still in drought, the report refers to long-term consequences of climate change during a period when, rightly or wrongly, the industry is focused on the short term and day to day implications of weather.

Fire weather conditions are mostly worsening, particularly in the south and east. Source: Bureu of Meteorology

CSIRO, director of the Climate Science Centre, Dr Helen Cleugh said the report describes both the variability and long-term trends that have been observed of Australia’s climate, combining both the work of the Bureau and the CSIRO.

Dr Cleugh said the long-term warming trend reported in previous State of the Climate reports has continued.

“Australia is now warming by just over one degree Celsius since 1910 when records began,” she said.

“The warming trend is leading to an increase to the frequency of heat exchange and we are also seeing in the observations a long-term increase in extreme fire weather and length of the fire season.

“Our observations show the oceans around Australia are warming.”

Dr Cleugh said observations made at Cape Grim in Tasmania and compared with measurements of air bubbles trapped in Antarctic ice, continued to confirm rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Australias climate has warmed since 1910. Source: Bureau of Meteorology

“Our observations of carbon dioxide show those levels have increased to levels we have not seen in at least 800,000 years,” she said.

“The measurements from Cape Grim have actually exceeded 400 parts per million (ppm) and are staying above 400ppm.”

Bureau of Meteorology, manager of climate monitoring, Dr Karl Braganza said while State of the Climate does not report on effective rainfall, the difference between the amount of rain and the amount lost to evaporation, the Bureau does track evaporation.

“Evaporation rates have been going up over many parts of the continent,” he said.

“It is quite sensitive to variability, but the combination of the higher temperatures and the lack of rainfall clearly combines to reduce the amount of water in the environment.

“What we have found in the drought we are currently experiencing, over winter and spring we had record breaking evaporation over parts of NSW and Qld.”

State of the Climate

Australian temperatures will increase

More hot days, fewer cold days

Global temperatures rise continues

Sea-level rise to continue

Oceans warming continues

Further acidification of oceans

Tropical cyclones decrease in number, but increase in intensity

Extreme rainfall events to be more intense

More fire weather for southern and eastern Australia

Decreased winter and spring rainfall for southern Australia

Increase in droughts

Landing in hot water

Dr Cleugh said one of the new features in the state of the climate was the observation that warming ocean temperatures is resulting in longer and more frequent marine heatwaves.

“Warming oceans are expanding oceans, so we are continuing to see sea-levels rising globally and around Australia,” she said.

Dr Cleugh said the rising carbon dioxide levels are also increasing the concentration found in the oceans, leading to continued acidification.

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